Preparation and characterization of poly(2-vinylpyridine) with narrow molecular weight distributions

Abstract

Anionic polymerization of 2-vinylpyridine was carried out in tetrahydrofuran at −78-°c with four kinds of initiators, i.e., n-butyllithium, tritylsodium, cumylpotassium and cumylcesium. it was confirmed that the polymerizations with all these initiators proceeded on a living mechanism and the polymers obtained had narrow molecular weight distributions. the triad isotactic contents of the polymers prepared were almost identical, independently of counter ions. the intrinsic viscosity-molecular weight relationships were determined in two good solvents and in a θ-solvent from those relationships, it was concluded that poly(2-vinylpyridine) has almost the same chain flexibility as ordinary vinyl polymers. © 1986 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan.